The Phantom's Cat, Book 2
by wanderingchat
Summary: The conclusion to the story of JeanLuc, the phantom's cat. Warning to the sensitive, you WILL need tissue for the ending!


The night of the Bal Masque that Mme. Giry had spoken of arrived, and Erik was tense with anticipation. My kitty ears could hear the strains of music coming from far above, but I felt no interest in checking it out. Too many people made me nervous, I preferred one or two trusted people, and I also knew that student would be there, which is what made my person so tense.

Erik looked resplendent in all red, with only his black gloves and boots and a different, more scary looking mask relieving the red. When I first saw this mask on his face, I hissed and fluffed my tail; as the mask terrified me. It wasn't until I heard his voice call my name that my tail settled to its' normal size, but my little heart was racing for quite awhile!

"Sorry to have scared you, little friend," Erik apologized, removing the mask to reveal a smaller, black fabric covering his face underneath. "But I'm glad to know that my costume is so eye catching! Be a good kitty, and no shedding fur on my pillow!" He petted my head in farewell, replaced his mask, and grabbed a leather binder before stalking away to the party above us. I settled down on the divan to wait his return and slept.

It didn't seem long, maybe an hour, before my human returned, an air of frustration mingled with grim satisfaction about him. He threw the scary mask on his desk, causing the pictures and drawings he had there to flutter in the slight breeze he created, and divested himself of his cloak and sword before sitting in his chair. I leaped to his lap, my ears perked forward in anticipation of hearing what had happened above.

"I was prepared to see the ring, and yet I wasn't," Erik finally sighed as he stroked my fur. "She had it around her neck on a chain, and my eyes were drawn to it like flowers to the sun. The sight of it enraged me, even though I was so close to gaining my power over her again. I took the ring from her, and then made my exit, rather dramatically. That foolish boy that thinks he loves her tried to follow me, but the mirrors tricked him, and I made good my escape."

I gazed unblinkingly into his eyes, my ears flat. He was extremely disappointed; I sometimes wished that student would go away and leave us alone. She gave my person so much pain and disappointment!

"I know what you're thinking, Jean-Luc. But I love her, just the same. The marriage has not occurred, I still have a chance to win her! I WILL win her!"

There was no doubt that Erik had something up his sleeve, as you humans say. Erik was up and about early the following morning, and he seemed very preoccupied as he fixed my breakfast.

"Meowr?"

"Hmmm? What's wrong, little friend?"

Humans! If I could've rolled my eye in aggravation, I'd have done so. Ignoring my tempting breakfast bowl, I rubbed against Erik's legs, meowing earnestly until he picked me up and held me close.

"You don't have to worry, little man. I'll be fine. But I will be bringing a guest home later. I trust you to be pleasant and welcome her."

My ears went flat against my skull when he said the word "her". I knew which HER he was referring to. That infernal trouble making dancer/singer he liked so much. I felt like hissing and my tail bristled in disgust.

"Now, Jean-Luc! That's not very nice! I know you want to protect me, but the girl does not mean me any harm. She is like a kitten, and kittens have to be taught sometimes not to cause hurt. She will learn, just as you learned. Will you try, as a favor to me, to like her a little more?"

I rumbled a small growl, but kissed his face in answer. I hoped he wouldn't be wrong, but my kitty heart was heavy, fearing the worst for my person. He gave me a gentle hug and placed me before my breakfast, admonishing me to eat well, and to be good, and then he was gone.

So I ate my breakfast, and went about my morning prowl, but my heart wasn't into chasing the rats, napping, or playing with the fish. I was worried for my person, and wished he would have taken me with him to the world above. I wanted to see for myself that everything was going to work out. For whatever reason, Erik didn't want to take me along, and I had to be content with waiting, so I settled for a nap, but sleep did not come easily to me, and images of my person being hurt by the woman, or of being physically harmed by another person ran through my head, making my sleep very fitful indeed.

It seemed several hours later that Erik returned, angry and dejected. Just as I'd feared, that young girl had disappointed him yet again, and he was highly upset. So much so that I just sat staring as he paced around the lair, ranting and raving about the "damn boy" and how he was going to be the ultimate victor. Eventually, Erik settled disconsolately in his chair, and called for me.

I hopped into his lap and sat staring unblinkingly in his eyes, waiting for him to tell me what had happened. He had taken the place of the carriage driver, and driven Christine to her father's grave, just as he'd known she would go for solace. He had a plan in mind to hypnotize her into believing he was speaking to her as her father, and by doing so, he would bring her back to our home and teach her to love him for himself, not as a teacher or father figure, but as a woman should love a man. He was almost successful, until that "damnable Vicomte" showed up on the proverbial white horse, and ruined the plan, surprising Christine from her hypnotic trance. The two men fought a vicious sword duel, Erik drew first blood, but the Vicomte made use of my person's slipping in the snow to nearly kill him, save for the singer's intervention. The Vicomte put his sword away, instead of ending Erik's life, and the singer left with the boy, leaving Erik to fume over his defeat.

I rubbed my head against his heart, comforted by the steady beating, and the smell only of sweat and dispair but no blood from my person. It never occurred to me to worry about my fate should Erik be injured or killed, as I knew the ballet mistress would see to my needs, Erik had told me that many times. Still, I worried for him. He was my person, my world, and to be living without him was something I could not fathom and would not accept!

I meowed indignantly, a series of cries expressing my opinion of his obsession for this girl who clearly had no love in her heart to give him. While a cat cannot replace human companionship, I knew there had to be SOME woman in the world who could find it possible to love my person in spite of his flawed features. This Christine person was NOT that kind of woman, but Erik only laughed at me, stroking my sleek fur in an effort to comfort me, and continued thinking of ways that he would win Christine, once and for all on the night his opera would debut.

I began to wonder if my person's obsession with this girl, and getting her away from the other man was such a good thing for us. Something about the whole situation didn't feel right to me, and I wasn't the only one who felt that way. Mme Giry came to visit us a few nights later, and she warned Erik that the Vicomte and the managers were setting a trap for him, but Erik refused to let himself be deterred from his plan.

"I know you are worried, my friend, " Erik consoled the ballet mistress, who was sitting in a chair and stroking me as they talked. "I don't intend to be caught by the Vicomte, nor his gendarmes. When my opera debuts, Christine will be mine, as is right!"

"Erik, my boy!" Mme Giry exclaimed, leaping to her feet in such a rush that she forgot I was on her lap and accidentally sent me flying unceremoniously to the floor. "You can't manipulate other people's feelings! It's not right, not for her or for you!"

"She loves me, I know it! I know it where it counts, in the heart and soul!" My person was adamant in his belief. "She holds my heart and soul as solidly as I hold hers. We have a bond that no aristocracy can break!"

Mme Giry had turned her attention to me, gathering me in her arms to apologize for so rudely dislodging me. I climbed to her shoulder, purring in acceptance of her apology, but the growl underneath told her I didn't buy into my person's line of thinking.

"I know, Jean-Luc, I share your feelings, but what are we to do? We cannot force him to listen to our reasoning! Even though we know he's in for a lot of heartbreak!" I meowed an enthusiastic agreement, glaring at my person as I did so.

Erik grinned in amusement at our by-play. "I appreciate your concern, my friends. It is misplaced. The child has been blinded by the Vicomte's wealth and good looks. When she is with me, she forgets him. She just needs to stay away from him, and I will see to it that she does!"

Mme Giry placed me gently on the chair, still warm from her presence, rubbed my ears affectionately, and then walked over to Erik, her face filled with sad concern. "I hope you know what you are doing, Erik. For all our sakes, but most especially for your sake."

"It will be all right, mon ami, I promise."

"I wish I felt as confident, Erik." She replied wearily before making her way to the world above.

A few days later brought the opening night for Don Juan Triumphant. My person was confident and happy as he set about getting ready to take over the role of Don Juan. He wore brownish trousers, and a blinding white shirt, plus a brownish waistcoat and a green mask. His black wig was brushed as sleek and shiny as my fur. He had worked with the wooden figures for the opera for hours the night before, practicing and preparing for his plan, making sure he had left nothing to chance this time.

He gave no sign of being nervous or apprehensive about the evening to come. He smelled calm, almost TOO calm, and it scared me. I knew that something was going to happen, and it wasn't going to be pleasant. Yet, no matter how much I tried to tell Erik, he just wasn't willing to listen to my warnings. He was kind as always, but I knew my complaints were falling on deaf ears. His mind was set on his plan, plain and simple.

"Seal my fate tonight," he murmured as he finished getting ready for the opera, whether he was talking to me, or to the Almighty, or himself, I'll never know. "I hate to have to cut the fun short, but the joke's wearing thin, let the audience in, let my opera begin!"

As he spoke, he took one of the candles and touched it to the wooden mock up of the theater above us. Instantly, the flare blared into a roaring blaze, and Erik watched grimly as his model was consumed. Was this a portent of things to come? I cried out again in fear, and Erik turned to me. "Be quiet, Jean-Luc! You're going to be all right. We ALL will be fine when this is over!"

He watched the blaze until the entire model was nothing but glowing embers, then he poured water on the embers to extinguish them. "I must go, now. I will be back, and you'll soon see what a wonderful life we will lead. You'll soon have a place where we can both go out in the sun without worry! We'll be loved! We'll be happy!"

He gathered his cloak and walked through a lesser used entrance to the lair, leaving the boat anchored, striding upwards towards the stage.

I sat, gazing at the destroyed opera house model, sniffing the air. There was danger in the air. Danger to Erik. I wasn't willing to sit and wait for him this time, and darted after him, following his scent along the path he used. It was my intent to be present for whatever was going to come.

The opera house was humming with life, and with some trepidation over the opening of Don Juan Triumphant. I couldn't blame the audience, as the overture was written in a very minor key and was very discordant at times. Erik had intended it to be that way. That diva, Carlotta, certainly did her best to add to the discordant noise, making my ears hurt. Even laying them flat against my head didn't make it any better, though I tried!

I couldn't find Erik, but I sensed his presence around the stage. I lurked around, padding silently in the shadows, sniffing the air and trying not to be afraid of all the strange people. I kept to the shadows a lot, and then I heard and smelled the tenor that Erik planned to replace. He was singing to two other men on the stage, so I slipped along to the back of the area, still keeping to the shadows. My kitty instincts were telling me that if Erik were going to appear, it would be right in this area, at any time.

The tenor passed through the curtain and began putting on a cloak. That's when Erik leaped soundlessly from the flies above, landing behind the tenor, who grunted in surprise to see a smaller, younger version of himself standing in front of him. The tenor slumped forward, but Erik caught him, and guided the man over to a piece of scenery. It looked very deadly, as it was full of pointed pieces. Erik forced the tenor to lay upon the wood, and quickly roped the big man to it. Later, Erik would be accused of killing the big man, it was completely untrue. My person was very considerate, telling the tenor that he had earned a rest for his endeavors, and Erik was going to "understudy" in his place.

"Do not try to undo the ropes, Piangi, else they will tighten and make you most uncomfortable. Enjoy your rest and my performance!" The tenor made no response, and Erik gathered the cloak about him, and walked through the curtain.

I sat and listened, as Erik sang in the tenor's stead. I could hear the audience begin to settle in their seats. They knew there had been an unannounced change in singers, and this new singer caught their attention. I listened to Erik sing, his voice full of confidence and fire. He was singing TO someone, I suspected he was singing to the girl he loved so much and was correct when I heard her sing back to him.

I smelled danger in the air, and noticed armed men gathering about the stage area, along with the ballet dancers and other members of the cast and crew of the opera house. The armed men were all dressed alike, their rifles were held in a ready position, and their faces were grim. I knew they were there to do harm to my person, and there was nothing I alone could do to stop them.

I saw Mme Giry at one side of the stage, she was watching as Erik and the girl climbed to the top of the platform built especially for the song "Point of No Return". Her expression was as scared as I felt. A blonde girl wearing pants and a white shirt stood near Mme. Giry, and that kept me from going to the ballet mistress for comfort. I'd never met the girl, and I was already pretty scared as it was. Mme. Giry looked as helpless as I felt.

Erik and Christine were at the very top of the platform, still singing to each other. He held her against him, the music was slow and pulsing. There was an air of tension all around me. I knew the time had come and that Something Awful was going to happen.

One by one, a phrase dropped into the stillness. Erik's voice was hopeful and loving as he sang "Say you'll lead me from my solitude. Christine, that's all I ask of – "

She looked very sad as she ripped the green mask and the black wig from Erik's face. They stood there, high above the stage, Erik and Christine both breathing very heavily. Erik's expression was one of disbelief and dispair, and Christine continued to look sad at what she had done. The tableau between them was shattered when some stupid female, either in the audience or the assembled cast screamed, and that caused Erik to react. He knew the armed men were present, one was right across from him on the edge of the platform, out of sight of the audience.

My tail fluffed to several inches its' normal size as I watched the armed man move his gun. At the same time, Erik started making motions with his hands and feet. He gathered Christine in his arms as he grasped a rope and the two of them plunged to the floor below, and then downward through a tarp concealing a trap door that took them further below the stage.

My paralyzing fear snapped, and I began to run along the shadows, back the way I had come. Erik was taking Christine back to the lair! As I ran, I heard the boy my person hated so much yelling at Mme. Giry, and she was offering to help him. I hissed at her betrayal, and ran before them towards the path I'd taken before. Somehow, I had to tell my person of this newest betrayal! The boy was coming to our home!

I ran as fast as my paws would carry me, thinking that Mme Giry and the boy were right behind me, but surprisingly, she was leading him along a different route than mine. He would be taking a long, winding flight of stairs, not the shorter way Erik and I had taken. Whether she saw me or not, I still do not know. Maybe she was buying me enough time to get to Erik. I didn't stop to ponder, just ran and ran and ran.

As I neared the lair, I heard Erik shouting at the girl. He was hurt and angry, and he was crying out his pain to her. He was telling her why he had been left to the coldness of our lair, he called it a prison, and described his face as loathsome. I'd never heard him talk of our home like that before, and I grew more frightened than ever. I arrived just in time to see him lead her forcibly into the lair. They were both panting from their exertion of traveling. Erik placed both hands on her shoulders, panting and rasping "Why, Christine? WHY?"

She wouldn't speak, she just looked at him with that same sad expression she'd had on the platform. I ruffled my fur and hissed, wishing she would just once explain herself, but she remained silent.

Erik pushed her towards the mannequin that still held the gown. "Put it on," he instructed her tersely. He walked across the lair, keeping his back turned to her as he walked. "Don't make me have to ask you again," he added, his voice held a dangerous note I'd only heard once before. She decided to obey him, taking the gown from the mannequin.

I wanted to go to Erik and warn him of the boy's approach and Mme Giry's betrayal, but Erik only looked at me once, and I sat still. I didn't fear him, but the look told me more than any words. He KNEW the boy was on his way! Erik held the ring he'd taken from Christine the night of the Bal Masque, watching it catch the candlelight, waiting for her to finish changing. .

"Have you gorged yourself at last in your lust for blood?" Christine cried out as she walked toward Erik, the veil that went with the dress still on the mannequin. "Am I now to be prey to your lust for flesh?"

What did she mean? Erik didn't eat other people, for crying out loud! He ate the same meat he always fed me!

"This face which makes me wallow in blood, has also denied me the joys of the flesh," he replied. Flesh? Kitten making! That's what she meant!.

Erik told her how even his mother had hated the sight of his face, something my own mother had never done, and my love for him grew leaps and bounds at that moment. At least I had known the love of my mother, but he had not even had THAT to hold on to! He told her how his mother had put a mask on his face before ever giving him any other article of clothing. Then his voice grew angry as he told her that her pity was too late, and she had to face her fate at seeing his face before her eyes for the rest of her life.

She seemed fearful of that, and I had to wonder what kind of person she was to be afraid of a facial flaw. She winced as he jammed the veil on her head. He gave her the ring by placing it in her hand and covering her fist over the palm, with the ring in it.

I watched to see what she was going to do next. Erik had walked past her, and she removed the veil from her head, letting it fall to the floor as she walked to one of the mirrors, uncovering it and gazing sadly at Erik. . "This haunted face holds on horror for me now. It's in your soul that the true distortion lies."

Erik turned to protest, saw his reflection in the mirror, and recoiled from it. "You call my soul distorted, my dear. Yet, would your soul not be distorted if all you'd ever wanted was love, and only received hate and fear instead?"

She hung her head in silence. She couldn't give an honest answer to that. She was beautiful, and while Erik might have thought she had a kind heart, she feared his face too much to be able to see the person underneath the ugliness. He was the same person who had taught her to sing, and who had cared for her when she first came to the opera house, yet, all she could see was distortion in his soul, not the kindness and caring I knew was there. I hissed softly again.

The sound of heavy breathing and splashing made my blood run cold. However, there was only one person coming to the lair. The young rival for the singer grasped the rails of the porticullis, he was soaked and one arm was bleeding.

"Wait! I think my dear, we have a guest!" Erik was smiling, but it was not a happy smile. "Sir, this is indeed an unparalleled delight!" He reached out to Christine, one arm bringing her close to him, but she fidgeted and clamored for him to let her go. He did so, and she stumbled away. "I had rather hoped that you would come, and now, my wish comes true, you have truly made my night!" He continued, his angry smile growing cold and hard.

"Free her!" The young boy called out, reaching one hand through the railings. "Do what you like only free her!"

"Please Raoul!" Christine cried out. "It's useless!"

"Your lover makes a passionate plea!" Erik sneered at her.

"Have you no compassion?" The boy, Raoul, continued his pleading.

"The world showed no compassion to me!" Erik roared in outrage.

"Let me see her!"

Erik sneered and walked to the control that would open the porticullus. "Be my guest, sir!" As it slowly rose, Erik waded into the water, opening his hands as if in welcome. "Monsiuer I bid you welcome."

Raoul ducked under the half raised ironwork and started towards Erik.

"Did you think that I would harm her?" Erik continued, his arms still opened wide in welcome. "Why should I make you pay for the sins that are yours!" Suddenly, Erik scooped a rope out of the water and whipped it out over the boy's head. Working swiftly, Erik had the boy tied against the iron works. He waded back to the shoreline, and started gathering up a pile of rope.

The girl and this Raoul person looked sadly at each other. Erik had returned to Raoul, after fashioning a noose with the rope and placing it over the boy's neck, running the long rope up over the porticullus and then waded back to Christine, playing out the rope as he walked.

The girl and boy were speaking to each other, he imploring her not to give in to Erik's demand that she stay with him as his bride, the girl seemed to bemoan Erik's betrayal of her. I fluffed up at that. He betrayed her? He loved her! She had betrayed him by exposing the one thing he didn't want other humans to see to the entire world, leaving him open to humiliation, and she was whining about being betrayed! How dare she!

"Be calm, Jean-Luc," Erik admonished me. He turned to Christine, holding the rope in his hands. He was angry, and hurt, and he knew he had her in a no win situation. I couldn't help feeling that she deserved all the anguish she was going through, after all the anguish she had given my person.

"The tears I might've shed for your dark fate, grow cold, and turn to tears of hate!" Christine cried at him, her face contorted as if she were trying to keep back tears. The floodgates seemed to open, and the three of them spoke at once, pleading and imploring each other. The boy kept telling Christine if she chose Erik then Raoul's life would be over, while Christine was wailing over how Erik had manipulated her and lied to her.

Erik seemed to take all this in stride, apparently he felt that even having the girl hate him was better than not having her at all. He taunted her as he spoke to her, reminding her that no matter what choice she made, he would win in the long run. The tableau between the three reached a fever pitch, and above all, my sharp ears heard rumblings from above, the armed men and some others were coming!

I cried out in fear, and wanted to run to Erik, but he was still in the water, and it was too deep for me. "You try my patience!" He snarled at Christine, yanking on the rope around Raoul's neck.

"Make your choice!"

I stalked the edge of the water, my ears tuned to the approaching mob. They were still some distance away, else Erik would've also heard them. I knew that we didn't have much time.

Christine was gazing from Erik to the trapped boy, her eyes bright with unshed tears. Then she walked into the water, slipping the ring onto her finger as she glided towards Erik. "Pitiful creature of darkness, what kind of life have you known?" She glided slowly closer to him, and the rope in Erik's hands went slack as he watched her approach.

"God give me courage to show you, you are not alone!" She stopped in front of him, reached up her hands, and placing both hands to either side of his face, bent his head down to her and kissed him.

Erik's eyes widened with surprise, as did mine. I didn't expect her to show him such affection, not after all she'd done to him in the past. Was it possible that she did indeed love my person after all?

The kiss ended, but only momentarily. Erik had dropped the rope, and as he stood in front of her, unable to believe what had just happened, she reached out and kissed him again, but differently this time. It seemed much deeper than the first one she'd given him. He stood there, returning the kiss, but unable to return the embrace. Time seemed to stand still as the kiss continued.

Christine stepped back again, and I saw that tears were running down Erik's cheeks. He was crying! For the first time in his life, another human had shown him gentleness and kindness - had given him the affection that his own mother could never give him. That Christine had done this willingly, without being forced into doing so, made my own heart melt for her.

Erik stood looking down at her, the rope had slid from his hands into the water, and Raoul was panting for air against the railings. As I watched, listening as the mob noises were getting louder and closer, Erik continued to cry.

Suddenly, he turned away from Christine and waded back to the shore. "Take her, get out of here," he cried out as he walked up the steps, water streaming from his clothing. "Take the boat, get away, don't let them find you!"

Christine rushed to the boy's side and began working on the ropes that bound him to the railings. I padded up the steps after Erik, who was still imploring them to leave and never tell of him. The mob noise was more audible now, and I felt very scared. I rushed after Erik, brushing up against him as he turned back to the embracing pair and cried out "Go now! Go now and leave me!" He turned then, and ran into the bedroom where weeks earlier he'd gently laid Christine to rest after her faint.

I rushed after him, and hopped up next to him on the bed. I nuzzled his arm, meowing urgently that we needed to get out of there, and fast! The mob was getting closer with each passing minute, and it wouldn't take them long to find us! Erik sat dejectedly on the side of the bed, watching as the monkey music box played its' little song.

"Masquerade. . .paper faces on parade, " Erik sang brokenly with the tinny little tune. I nuzzled his arm again, forcing my head under his elbow as he continued singing, "hide your face so the world will never find you."

A shadow crossed the music box, he looked up and I heard his heart skip a beat. Christine stood to one side, that same sad expression on her face that it held the moment she removed the mask from his face on stage.

Erik looked up at her, hope shining in his eyes. She was working the ring off her finger, then moved forward, took Erik's hand, placed the ring in his palm, and closed his fingers gently over the ring. Without saying a word, she backed away from us, and then hurried back to her Raoul.

Erik stood up and walked to the edge of the steps to watch them go. They were standing in the boat, the boy rowing as quickly as he could. The noise of the mob was closer than ever, and I sprang to the floor, running and crying urgently at Erik.

"You alone can make my song take flight, " Erik murmured softly as the girl turned her face towards him. He watched as the boat continued on it's way, as Christine gazed back at him until the boat rounded the bend and disappeared from sight. "It's over now, the music of the night!"

Erik grabbed a candlestick and started smashing the mirrors along the staircase. I was getting frantic. The mob was very close. I knew they were going to hurt Erik, maybe even kill him. My fur was ruffled all over as he continued to smash mirrors in his grief and heartbreak. Then he lifted a drape that covered yet another mirror, and smashed it, revealing a passage behind the mirror. Erik stepped toward it, entered, then turned and looked behind him. He lifted his hand to me, and I ran to him, leaping into his arms. He dropped the curtain and carried me through the tunnel.

Behind us, we could hear the mob entering our lair, and the noise they made trying to find Erik. We continued noiselessly down the darkened tunnel, leaving our home and the crowd behind us. I laid my paws on Erik's shoulder, purring and rubbing my head against his ear. I had no idea where we were going, but I knew we were safe from the angry mob, and that was all that mattered.

We never saw Christine and her lover again, and we never returned to the lair. Erik had prepared for the eventuality that he might one day have to leave his underground haven. He had money and clothing hidden away, and that night, we left Paris, never to return.

One promise that Erik did keep to me: we were happy, and we did find a safe place in the sun. A small cottage in the French countryside. It was quite isolated, which suited us fine. There was a pond with fish, and birds to hunt. Erik planted a garden, and once in a while would go to the village a few miles away to purchase those things we needed that our home didn't provide.

As the years passed, Erik didn't actively seek human companionship. His one friend, Mme Giry did seek us out, and visited us often. Especially after her daughter, Meg, the little blonde girl I'd seen that fateful night married and had a family of her own. Mme. Giry often acted as Erik's business partner, taking care of things Erik didn't want to bother with. She always brought the latest news of Paris, and of Christine. .

Sometimes during these visits, he would sing the songs of the Opera House, and play the violin, and remember his reign as the Phantom of the Opera. I tried my best to be his constant companion, but neither I nor Mme Giry could completely fill the hole in his heart that Christine had left. Worse, I was getting old. I knew that my life was ebbing away, day by day. It was harder to jump from place to place, even to jump from the floor to Erik's lap. More often than not, I spent most of my time lying in the warmth of the sun and sleeping.

I enjoyed a total of 20 years on this Earth, quite a large number of years compared to human years. They were happy years that I never wanted to end, but that was a wish not to be granted. The day finally came, while Erik was out and about, that my life came to an end, and I slipped away in my sleep to the next life.

You humans refer to our passing as crossing the Rainbow Bridge. I found my mother and many siblings there waiting for me, and the pain in my old bones was gone. In fact, I felt young and strong, and had my eye returned good as new! I looked back over the bridge, and my heart ached to see Erik gather my lifeless body in his arms, tears he'd not shed since that long ago day in the lair streaming down his face as he stroked my fur for the last time.

He buried me under a tree, near the lake where I loved to watch the fish, and he would visit my grave daily to talk to me. His pain at my passing made me sad, and I wished there was a way to let him know that I wasn't completely gone, but was just waiting for him on the other side of the Rainbow Bridge.

I think, however, that he knows of this. That one day, he too, will cross the Rainbow Bridge, all his pains and scars will be healed as mine were. Christine will be standing hee with me when we'll be reunited, and I'll once again be the Phantom's Cat.


End file.
